Falling from the top of a building is a very free feeling, at least until you hit the ground.

And that’s where our society is headed—the ground. Yes, everything is so out of control we’re all gonna crash—and crash hard.

Everywhere you turn, society is crumbling. Gang shootings, crack deals and corrupt business practices are commonplace. Our government will stop at nothing to advance its own interests, not even the senseless slaughter of young men in pursuit of oil and new free markets to poison with its capitalistic philosophy.

The only thing that matters in this country anymore is the First Person—”Me, myself and I.” If the 70s was “the me generation,” then our current generation is the “me-only generation.” In other words, who gives a damn about anyone else?

The goal of life in this society is ostensibly to pile up as many material possessions in the 75 years or so of life that Americans average. What’s scary is this warped society rewards it.

Look at television and advertising. The image that the extremely-sexist-but-all-powerful MTV portrays has become the new Golden Rule—”Do unto others before they can do it unto you.” That is, get the latest toys and keep up in the mad race to better yourself without any regard for others.

The most pathetic part is that just about everyone accepts the message our advertising world gives them without questioning it for truth or justice. The reason given will inevitably be “I don’t have time.” But why don’t you have time? Because you’re too concerned with yourself to stop and see what a sad place this world has become!

Nothing is sacred. You think the media are informing you of what’s going on in the world? Ha! The media are only telling you what they want to. Do you have any idea of how much violence, crime and starvation is going on in most Third World countries? No, not at all, because the media aren’t telling you.

Why? Because the media are owned by big corporations and all they care about is the bottom line—money. And the public relations people, they’re the worst ones of all.

They cover up and sugarcoat all things detrimental to Big Business, the capitalistic juggernaut that is raging out of control. They are kind of like the dirty oil that keeps the machine running.

Oxymoron of the week—”JOURNALISM with a public relations emphasis.” Public relations is not journalism. But hey, it doesn’t matter anyway because even if there were no PR shills, journalism is still part of an industry and tainted by the capitalistic machine which has caused the world to go to pot.

The fact is, people have lost sight of what life is for. It’s not about piling up material items and pursuing your own self comfort, despite the justification that Locke gave in his philosophy and Jefferson gave in his “pursuit of happiness” rhetoric. The capitalists are wrong. It’s about helping other people and leaving the world a better place than when you entered it.

It’s about abandoning the “me only” viewpoint and regaining our balance before we really do hit the concrete ground.